CHAPTER 94: CHAPTER 94: COURT SUMMONS—HEARING AT TEN O’CLOCK

"How did you know?" Caleb Lockwood retorted.

"I just guessed... Your sister-in-law has been back for quite some time, shouldn’t you and Serena have gotten divorced by now?"

Patrick Rhodes asked while carefully observing Caleb Lockwood’s reaction.

Back when Claire Shaw first returned to the country, Patrick Rhodes felt Caleb Lockwood should divorce Serena.

But Caleb Lockwood couldn’t bear to part with Serena, who was like a nanny, so the divorce was delayed until now.

While being observed by Patrick Rhodes, Caleb Lockwood was also subtly observing Patrick Rhodes.

This was the first time since he’d known Patrick Rhodes for so long that he’d seen such a fervent and hopeful look in his eyes.

"Do you really want me to divorce Serena?"

"Of course."

Patrick Rhodes responded without hesitation, noticing a cold gleam in Caleb Lockwood’s eyes.

"It’s just because I’m thinking about your sister-in-law. She’s been with you for so long, without any title or position..."

Caleb Lockwood remained silent.

"Your sister-in-law has actually cried secretly to me several times, saying she doesn’t want to keep being like a mistress..."

"Mm."

"So this time... you are truly planning to divorce Serena, right?"

"Yes."

Caleb Lockwood responded, hearing Patrick Rhodes whispering, "That’s great."

The storm in his eyes came swiftly and left quickly, as Caleb Lockwood calmly curved his lips into a smile, a smile full of deeper meaning.

Serena has taken leave.

The studio is temporarily managed by Sharon Sanders, and over three days, she visited seven detective agencies.

This time, Serena intends to investigate not Caleb Lockwood, but Felix Shepherd.

The only lawyer she could think of who might help her win the divorce lawsuit is Felix Shepherd.

According to the current divorce agreement Caleb Lockwood provided, her repeated requests for divorce had caused The Lockwood Group various losses.

She thought it might be difficult to leave Caleb without paying a cent.

She also realized that this was just Caleb Lockwood’s way of making things difficult for her, trying to force her to give up.

Serena was willing to pay up, as long as she could divorce Caleb smoothly.

But three hundred billion is absolutely impossible; she’s not a fool.

The most crucial aspect of a divorce lawsuit is to find a good lawyer, Serena detests Felix Shepherd but acknowledges his credentials.

Just as Serena was about to step into the eighth detective agency, her phone rang.

The caller ID showed a familiar number, but she wasn’t inclined to answer.

The ringtone went on for quite some time before Serena finally pressed the answer key.

"Hello?"

"Ah... Serena..."

The person on the other end corrected himself quickly, avoiding unnecessary conversation.

"Why did you suddenly decide to call me?" Serena asked directly.

"Are you investigating a lawyer named Felix Shepherd?"

Serena raised her eyelids slightly.

Seeing her silent acknowledgment, the man on the phone explained:

"I discovered it by accident, not deliberately spying on your privacy."

"And then?"

"If you want to investigate him for something, I can help."

Though Serena didn’t want to trouble him, she had actually relied on him for last time’s bed photo incident.

After a moment’s silence, Serena replied with two words:

"Evidence."

"Understood, leave it to me."

As evening fell, the sun set.

After parking his car, Felix Shepherd passed by the playground in the community and casually spotted Serena among a group of playful children.

Serena was handing a bubble machine to a little girl.

Felix Shepherd walked over, facing Serena directly.

"I don’t believe you’re here by chance, so are you here to compensate for medical expenses?" Felix Shepherd pointed to his face, where the marks could still be seen.

"The person who hit you was Patrick Rhodes, not me."

"Makes sense." Felix Shepherd shrugged, seeing a group of kids trying to pull Serena into playing with them.

"You really are quite liked by children!"

Serena smiled and said nothing.

"If you love kids so much, why don’t you have one yourself?"

Seeing Serena’s face change suddenly, Felix Shepherd realized instantly that he had said something wrong.

Leaving the playground, on the way to Felix Shepherd’s house, Serena handed a folder to Felix Shepherd.

"Help me with the divorce lawsuit, and what’s inside, pretend I don’t know."

Felix Shepherd initially scoffed at Serena’s threat.

He thought the leverage Serena could hold against him amounted to those dubious bed transactions with his former clients.

"You might indeed not fear being known as a scoundrel, as those seeking you value your ability over your character, but... academic fraud, degree fabrication—all these scandals would harm your career more."

Felix Shepherd halted, with all his usual nonchalance gone from his face.

"I’ll take your case. Come to my office tomorrow to discuss."

"Straightforward."

Serena smiled.

Caleb Lockwood quickly got wind of it—

Serena had commissioned Felix Shepherd to handle her divorce case.

"That Lawyer Shepherd..."

In the General Manager’s office, Mr. Miller hesitated to speak.

He felt like he was overstepping.

The matters between Caleb Lockwood and Serena were not his to meddle with.

Yet, he couldn’t help but worry.

Upon hearing that Serena had become Felix Shepherd’s client, Mr. Miller saw Caleb Lockwood remain silent, his face colder than ice, brimming with bloodthirsty aggression.

Caleb Lockwood was surely aware of Felix Shepherd’s behavior.

He feared Caleb might wrongly assume Serena was a promiscuous woman.

At the same time, he was concerned Serena might end up suffering because of her dealings with Felix Shepherd for the lawsuit.

After all, Felix Shepherd’s private life was notably chaotic, especially with female clients.

Many times, Mr. Miller wanted to say something to Caleb Lockwood, but he never quite knew what was appropriate.

"Leave this matter to Lawyer Coleman and the others."

Caleb Lockwood instructed Mr. Miller this way.

A few days later, Caleb Lockwood’s legal team received a court summons for Redridge District Court, with the hearing scheduled for next Monday at ten.

Events had already deviated from Caleb Lockwood’s initial plans.

Originally, he had deliberately told Lawyer Coleman and the others to draft a divorce agreement requiring Serena to compensate with an enormous divorce fee, aiming merely to make Serena realize—

This marriage couldn’t end.

At least not at her whim.

But now...

In The Jade Pavilion, Caleb Lockwood was lying alone on the sofa in the living room, resting.

Now, everything in this house had returned to its original state.

No trace of pink.

No sign of Claire Shaw ever having lived here.

Originally, Claire Shaw was just temporarily staying here because her neighbor was renovating and it was too noisy.

Now the place looks exactly as it did before Serena left.

The only difference is, Serena isn’t here.

Caleb Lockwood thought he was exhausted and would soon fall asleep, yet he lay awake all night.

People can stop, but time won’t.

Monday arrived as scheduled.

Both Serena’s and Caleb Lockwood’s sides were fully prepared for the divorce case.

However, before they managed to reach the court, it was already surrounded by news media, internet celebrities, women’s rights groups, and more.

As both Serena and Caleb Lockwood got the news, the internet was already ablaze with trending topics.

Rich Family Scumbag! Head of The Lockwood Group Caleb Lockwood cheats on wife with mistress, original wife sues for divorce!

That day, The Lockwood Group’s stock plummeted 57%, its market value evaporating nearly 80 billion.